IE843044L

IE843044L - Bottle labelling machine

Info

Publication number: IE843044L
Application number: IE843044A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Owens Illinois Inc
Priority date: 1983-11-28
Filing date: 1984-11-28
Publication date: 1985-05-28
Also published as: EP0144198A3; ES538015A0; EP0144198A2; NO844709L; NO164086C; DE3442995A1; FR2555548B1; JPS61129A; FR2555548A1; NZ209675A; NO164086B; KR920007867B1; PT79565A; AU557330B2; GB2150107A; IT8449087A1; GB2174676B; FI81541C; IE56215B1; IT1178180B

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for a high speed par duction line in which containers (8) are wrapped with plastics labels (10) each having an outer surface and an un nerside which is next to the container (10) and comprising a fi nt solid polymer layer (20) or a foam polymer layer (60), incl nding means (23, 38, 45) for moving a leading edge (61) of a abel (10) to the periphery (12) of a rotating vacuum drum (5), means for applying a solvent, such as methylene chic ide when the polymer is polystyrene, to the underside of the layer to form finite areas (65) on the leading label edge (61) nd a finite area (66) on the trailing edge (68). The finite areas 65, 66) have therein a rapidly soldifying tacky solution of the bolymer in the solvent, the tacky viscous solutions rapidl solidifying to form an adhesive bond. The solvent- applie label (10) is quickly moved to a label wrapping statior vhere it is wrapped around a container (8), the finite areas (66) on the leading edge (61) tacking the label (10) to the cor t iner (8), and the finite area (66) on the trailing edge (68) fo ning a cohesive bond on the seam formed by the overlap: ed label ends.

Description

-lft ■ DESCRIPTION IMPROVEMENTS XM OR RELATING TO APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR HRAPP3MG PLASTICS LABELS AROUMP fcOMTAIMERS AMD LABELS THEREFOR. 5 The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for wrapping plastics labels around containers on e continuous production basis. it has been known to utilise mechanical handling apparatus to supply labels to a container. Such 10 apparatus has included & plastics label sheet £eed supply, a drum upon «hich the label is secured and which moves the label into engagement wich the outer susSace o'i; © container. The label adheres to the container and is subsequently wrapped around the 15 container by rolling it along a fixed surface. United States Patent Specification Ho.4,323,416, for Instance'» shows such an apparatus, the label being ®lue The use of the hot-salt adhesive (glue) has been wessy end expensive, heat being required to heat the 25 adhesive. There is a bastard o£ being exposed to possible burning from heaters used to heat the glue or the heated glue itself. a in addition, auch as in the ces® of an oriented plastic container, the label cannot be easily resaoved £ro® the container and hence th® body portion o£ the container is contaminated and 5 cannot be readily recycled.

According to one aspect o£ the present invention, apparatus iior wrapping around a container a plastics sheet label having an outer surface and an underside, the underside being next to the container and 10 comprising a first solid polymer layer or a foam polymer layer, comprises means £or providing a aeb of the plasties label sheet continuously toward a label-wrapping station in which its,long aisis is generally parallel to the horisontal and in which ehe 15 sheet has a length along its ohott axis that approximately equals the axial distension o£ th® label when wrapped around the container and the outer Burgee® ofe" th® label having label indicia thereon, Means £or moving a leading edge o£ the sheet to a 20 vacuus drum having port£ on th® periphery communicating with the interior oi the drum, means for cut tine; a desired length ot material Srosi the sheet to forsa ft label for one container, saeans for pulling a vacuus on th® interior o£ the drum to pull the label 25 to the drum periphery, means tor applying a solvent for the polyner of said layer on ae least two finite . \ -3- areas of said layer adjacent the leading edge, and raeartis So? applying the solvent for the polymer of said layer to a finite area in the forta of a strip along th® trailing edge, and means for rapidly moving th® 5 lobe! around the container, the finite area of tha leading edge of said layer lightly but securely tacking said layer to the container, the finite area of said layer of the trailing edge forming a seam wher® th® underside edge of said layer overlaps the 10 edge of: th® outer surface of the label.

According to another aspect of the present invention apparatus for continuously wrapping a polystyrene label around is container, the container having & body end the le.bsl comprising a solid 15 polystyrene top layer arsd is foam polystyrene bottom ley<$r, the labs! being wrapped around the body with the foam layer n®Kt to the body, comprises means for providing the lesbei in sheet form towards a wrapping station in a continous Slow, means for cutting a 20 desired length of material .froa the sheet to provide the label„ the cutting bsing continuous to provide & plurality of the labels, ae&ne for moving a leading edg« of the label to th® periphery of a rotating vacuum drum, means for keeping the label on the drum 25 periphery with the solid polymer layer next to the periphery, means for contacting the foam layer of the label with methylene chloride as solvent "hila moving toward the wrapping station, the contacting forming « finite area on each of the leading and trailing edges, the finite area formed by solvent which upon contact wish the label material forms a wiscoue tacky solution oz polystyrene, means for bonding lightly but securely the foeis layer to the container body by rapidly applying solvent to the material which forms a tacky solution, the bond between the body and the label becoming weaker as the solidifying solution hardens whereby, after use, the label is easily and cleanly removed from the container so the container can be recycled, and means for bonding th® leading and trailing ends of the label together by overlapping the same and allowing the tacky solution to form a solid cohesive bond between the ends oC the £oam layer and the overlapped solid polystyrene layer.

According to a further aspect o£ the present invention a method of providing a plastics label around a container having a body whereby the label is wrapped around the container and the plasties label comprises a foam polymer layer, comprises the steps of transporting toward a wrapping station a sheet of the plastics label stock whereby the transporting is continuous and the length assis of the stock is parallel to the horizontal, cutting the stock to form label and a finite area in the form of a strip adjacent the trailing edge of the label, the finite areas being formed by the solvent which upon contact with She label material forms e, viscous tacky solution of polystyrene, means for 5 rolling the container over the label to wrap the label around the container and tack th® foaa layer adjacent the leading edge of the label to the container body by rapidly applying solvent to the material which forms a tacky solution, the bond between the body and the label 10 becoming weaker and weaker as the solvent evaporates whereby, after use, the label is easily and cleanly removable from the container so that the container can be recycled, and bonding the leading and trailing ends of the label together by overlapping th© same and 15 allowing the tacky solution adjacent the trailing edge of the label to forsn a solid cohesive bond between the overlapped ends of the label, which bond becomes stronger and stronger as the solvent evaporates. according to a furthe:: aspect of the present 20 invention to method of providing a plastico label around a container having a body wherain the label is wrapped arouad the container and th& plastics label comprises a solid polymer outer leysr sad ft foaa polymer bottom layer, comprising the steps o£ transporting toward a 25 wrapping station a sheet of ths plastics label stock wherein the transporting is continuous and th© length axis- of the stock is parallel to the horizontal, cutting the stock to fora a plurality of labels of a desired length, feeding the leading edge of the label G 5o & rotating vacuus drum, placing and guiding the label on tho periphery of the drua with the outer layer of the label next 'so the peripheral di-ua surface, rolling the container over the label to wrap the label 5 around the container so that its trailing end overlaps its leading end.8 and, just before trapping the label around the container, applying n low boilings quick evaporating solvent for the polymer of the foam layer to the surface of that layer in finite areas adjacent 10 the leading edge of the label to fora a tacky bond that ia a viscous tacky solution of the polysaer in the solvent in said finis® areas which forms between the leading edge of the label and the container a bond which becomes weaker and weaker after wrapping whereby 15 the label can be easily and cleanly stripped frosa the container so that the container can be recycled, aad, just before wrapping the label around the container, also applying the solvent to a finite strip area of tha foao layer of the trailing edge of the label to 20 for® between the outer and bottom layers of the label at the overlapped ends a solid adhesive bond which becoaes stronger and stronger.

According to a still (further aspect o£ the present invent ion a method ot labelling a container comprises 25 (a) providing a web comprising a solid polystyrene top layer and e. foaia polystyrene bottom layer, and having a width equal to the axial dimension of a label when on the container, the front face of the top layer thereof having label indicia thereon, 30 (b) feeding the leading edge of the web to a 7 rotating drum, (c) cutting a length of material frora the web to forsa a label, said length being equal to the peripheral dimension of the label when on ths container. 5 (d) holding th® label on the drua with the front face adjacent thereto„ (o) applying methylene chloride solvent in a finite area pattern to th© face of the bottom foam layer of th© moving label while on the drum, said 1C pattern comprising finite areas adjacent the leading edge of the label and a finite area in the form of a strip adjacent the trailing edge of the label., and (£) rolling a container along said face of the bottom layer of this label disposed exteriorly on the 15 drum and thereby transferring the label to the container with the trailing end of the label overlapping the leading end of the label, whereby the pattern of the said solvent application causes the label to forts adjacent the leading edge of the label c.0 a tacky bond to the surface of the container, which bond becomes weaker and weaker as the solvent evaporates, and causes the overlapped trailing end of the label to be bonded to the leading end of the label, she bond between the.overlapped ends of the 25 label becoming stronger and stronger as the solvent evaporates, whereby the container has a label of the plastics material applied on its exterior surface. 8 According to yet another feature of the present invention a method of labelling a container comprises: (a) providisg a web of foamed polystyrene sheet material the width of which equals the axial dimension of a label when oa the container s the front face thereof having label indicia., (b) feeding the leading edge of the web to a rotatable drum, (c) cutting a length of material from the web to form a label, said length being equal to the peripheral dimension of the label when on the container, (d) holding the label on the drum with the front face adjacent thereto, (e) applying a low boiling, quick evaporating solvent in a finite area pattern on the other face of the moving label while on the drum, and (£) rolling a container along said other face of the label disposed exteriorly on the drum and thereby trnasfex-ring the label to the container, whereby the finite area pattern of the said solvent application causes the label to adhere to the surface of the container , whereby the container has a label of the foamed polystyrene material applied on its exterior surface.

The present invention can provide apparatus and methods for quickly and efficiently applying plastics labels to a container on a production basis without using a hot-melt adhesive with its resultant drawbacks. 9 The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view showing 5 apparatus and methods according to one embodiment of the present invention in which plastics labels are wrapped around containers on a production basis using a solvent-sealing system, Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing 10 apparatus for the feeding of a plastics sheet from a supply roll, the cutting of the sheet into labels and guiding the same to a vacuum drum in the label-wrapping station.

Figure 3 is an elevational view.showing a 15 container in the form of an oriented plastic container with a base cup.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the container of Figure 1 with a plastics label being wrapped around the container, 20 Figure 5 is a top plan view of a plastics label with a foam layer having two spaced apart finite areas near its leading edge and a finite area in the form of a strip near its trailing edge.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view 2 5 of the labelling apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary enlarged view of a gravure roll and fountain used to apply solvent on the roll along the lines 7-7 of Figure 6, and Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view of the solvent-5 seal application system including the storage tank, the fountain, refrigeration unit and the gravure roll.

United States Patent Specification No.3,468,467 shows a two-piece plastic cup construction with a solvent seal for the side seam and solvent sealing the 10 bottom in place, and discloses the use of methylene chloride as a solvent for use with the hard, dense polystyrene skin of the cup material. The sealing is performed fairly slowly and the use of pressure on the overlapped edges of the side seam, etc. is disclosed. 15 The text of United states Patent Specification No. 3,468,467 contains in several places a prohibition against the use of the solvent in the foam area of the polystyrene material. For instance, see lines 14-20 in col. 2. 20 In sharp contrast, the present invention uses a solvent sealing system in which the solvent, methylene chloride, is applied directly to the foam polystyrene layer of a plastics label. The methylene chloride very quickly dissolves the polystyrene in the foam. 25 The timing of the solidification of the resultant tacky solution is such that the foam layer can be 1 1 lightly and securely tacked to the container surface by the solidifying solution within 1/2 or preferably within 1/3 or l/« second so that it can be trapped on a production basis. The methylene chloride is also applied to the trailing edge o£ the polystyrene label to form a finite area on the trailing edge that forms a side seam seal when the label ends are overlapped, the finite area being formed with a solidifying tacky solution of polystyrene in methylene chloride.

As seen in the drawings, such as Figures 1, 2 and 6, an apparatus 1 is shown including a vacuum drum 5 as a part of a label-wrapping station for a container 8. A plastics label 10 is disposed around the periphery 12 of the vacuum drum 5. A gravure roll 15 applies solvent to one side of the label as it rotates around the vacuum drum just prior to being wrapped around the container.

As seen in Figures 1 and 2, es plastics label such as a coesstruded sheet SO having a solid polymer layer 20 and a foam polymer layer 21 is transported towards the label-wrapping station by a seed roll 22 from a supply roll 22a, the label sheet generally having ite length axis substantially parallel to the horizontal. Other forms of plastics label can be used, such as a coextruded sheet having a first solid polymer layer and another solid polymer layer.

The plastics label may be a polystya-ene label comprising a coeictrudecl sheet 20 having a solid polystyrene layer 20a aad a foam polystyrene layer 21 is transported towards the label-wrapping station by e feed roll 22 from a supply roll 22a, the label sheet generally having Its length axis substantially parallel t;o the horizontal. 5 There is provided a label guide 23 and a turning bar 25 mounted on the outer periphery 27 of a rotating member 30. The member 30 has a knife 32 mounted on its periphery for contacting the sheet 20 at a stationary knife 34 to cut the sheet 20 into desired 10 lengths of label 10.

The sheet 20 is guided by the action of the turning bar 25 and a primary feed guide 35 on the other side o£ the passing sheet. A secondary feed guide 38 guides the sheet 20 towards the periphery of 15 the vacuum drum, and a final guide 45 directs and positions the leading edge of the sheet 20 (soon to be cut label 10) back on the vacuum drum, as vacuum is being pulled through vacuum ports 70. This is especially useful on the initial start-up. 20 As seen in Figure 1 or Figure 6, containers 3 are fed to the label applying station one by one along a conveyor 49, a scarwheel 50 seeds the containers 8 one at a time along a fined surface 52 spaced from the drum 5 whereby each of the containers rolls along a 2 5 cut label 10 on the drum periphery 12 to wrap the label around the container. The wrapped containers move away from the labelling station on a conveyor 53. h3 seen in Figure 8, the gravure roll 15 has indentations on its outer surface for accepting 30 solvent for application to the label. The roll has 13 areas 55 and a strip 56 for applying solvent to the foam layer of the label.

As seen in Figures 3, 4 and 5, the container 8 with a body portion 57 and a base cup 58 is shown 5 partially wrapped with the label 10 in Figure 4. As seen in Figure 5, the underside of the foam layer 60 is provided adjacent a leading edge 61 with two spaced-apart vertically aligned finite areas 65 on its leading edge 61. The finite areas 65 correspond to 10 the areas 55 of the gravure roll. A finite area 66 in the form of a strip 66 is provided on the trailing edge 68, the finite area 66 corresponding to the area 56 of the gravure roll. The action of the gravure roll contacting the foam layer is very quick and must 15 be accomplished in a high speed production system.

The two finite areas 65 have been found very effective in anchoring the label to the container for wrapping. The finite areas 65 are formed by applying a solvent, methylene chloride, to the polystyrene label material 20 which, upon contact, forms a tacky solution, the tacky bond being sufficient to enable the sticking of the label to the bottle. As previously indicated, the bond between the container and label becomes weaker, the bond not attacking or marring the container, such 25 as any plastic, glass, metal or paper container. The label can be easily and cleanly removed later, before 1 1 or a£ter use (before use, such as to allow in-plant recycling of damaged containers), for recycling or reclamation.

As seen, for example, in Figures 1, 2 and 6, there 5 is shown means including guides 23, 38 and 45 for moving the leading edge 61 of the label sheet 20 to the periphery of the vacuum drum. Means for pulling a vacuum on the interior of the drum is provided, the vacuum being pulled from a plurality of ports 70 on 10 the drum periphery, the ports communicating with the drum interior through a passageway thereto including a manifold 71. By the use of vacuum, each of the advancing labels is held on the rotating drum periphery with the printed side against the drum. The 15 foam underside 60 is quickly and efficiently contacted by this outer periphery surface of the gravure roll 15 to place solvent in the finite areas 65 and 66 of the label. The label is quickly moved to the vicinity of the fixed surface 52 where a label is rolled around 20 the container to produce an excellent product that can be easily recycled.

As seen in Figures 7 and 8, a closed system for furnishing solvent to the gravure roll 15 is shown. In the schematic drawing in Figure 8, there is shown a 25 supply tank 75 having a supply line 76 leading to a fountain 77, wherein in the preferred embodiment, 1 5 methylene chloride preferably controlled at a temperature of about 52 to 58°F (11 to 14.4°C) by refrigeration unit 75a is brought into the bottom portion of the fountain. The refrigeration means 75a 5 is shown in Figure 8 to control the solvent temperature.

The unused solvent from the fountain 77 is returned to the supply reservoir 75 through lines 78 and 79 by means of a pump 80. Thus, the supply of 10 methylene chloride to the fountain 77 is advantageously accomplished by the use of gravity. The pump 80 keeps the solvent circulating back to the tank 75 keeping the system at a very low pressure, only slightly above atmospheric, to reduce wear and 15 tear and a possible hazard due to leakage of solvent.

The slight amount of overflow, if any, between the fountain and gravure roll is taken care of by gravity, any excess flowing into a closed reservoir 81.

As seen in Figure 7, the fountain 77 supplies 20 solvent to the gravure roll 15 by the rotating gravure roll rubbing against the fountain.

The fountain 77 is mounted on a support frame 85 comprising upper and lower bracket members 37.

Bracket members 87 are attached to movable upper and 25 lower guide members 89 which are slidingly mounted, each guide 89 biasing the fountain 77 by means of springs 90 against the rotating gravure roll 15 to quickly and efficiently supply solvent to the gravure roll. The rotating member 30, the rolls 22 and 15 are driven by conventional shafts, gears and the like. As 5 seen in Figure 6, the vacuum drum provides the drive means for shaft 96 which in turn drives gravure roll shaft 97. The shaft 96 is connected underneath the apparatus to a suitable drive means from the vacuum drum 5 as well as roll 22 and rotating member 30, etc. 10 As seen in Figure 6, gravure roll 15 and its assembly is pushed into position adjacent the vacuum drum by an air cylinder 99 connected to a support member 94. The gravure roll assembly pivots and is held in place on one side by an adjustable bolt 100 on 15 the support member 94 and a stop member 101. As the vacuum drum 5 rotates, the material on the periphery 12 of drum 5 has its leading and trailing edge on a raised pad 5A which comes in contact with gravure roll 15. Thus, the finite areas 55 and 56 on the gravure 20 roll contact the leading and trailing edge portions; whereupon the solvent is applied. An arm 102 is provided to keep the manifold 71 of the drum 5 stationary and in place while the drum 5 and roll 15 rotate. 25 The apparatus and methods provide a labelled container that can be produced continuously and 1 7 economically, the seam of the label being one that becomes stronger and able to withstand any normally encountered force tending to pull the seam apart. The adhesive bond between the container and the label is just enough to keep the label on the container, but advantageously can be easily removed to provide a clean container for recycling. 1 B

Claims

1. CLAIMS 1. Apparatus for wrapping around a container a plastics sheet label having an outer surface comprising a solid polymer layer and a& underside comprising a 5 foam polymer layer, the underside being next to the container in use, the apparatus Comprising a label wrapping station including a rotating vacuus drum, means for feeding a web of the plastics label sheet continuously toward the l&bel wrapping staion in which its long axis is 10 generally parallel to the horizontal and in which the sheet has a width along its short axis that equals the axial dimension of the label when wrapped around the container and the outer surface of the label having label indicia thereon, means for feeding a leading 15 edge of the web to the vacuum drua having ports on the periphery communicating with the interior of the drum, means for cutting a desired length of material from the web to form a label for one container, means for pulling a vacuum on the interior of the drum to pull 20 the label to the drum periphery, means for, just before wrapping, applying a solvent for said polymer of said foam layer on finite areas of said layer adjacent the leading edge of the label and a finite area in the form of a strip along the trailing edge of the label, and means for 25 rolling a container along the solvent treated label to wrap the label around the container with the leading edge tacked to the container and the trailing 19 edge overlapping the leading edge to form an overlapping seam, the solvent dissolving the polymer of the foam layer to form a tacky bond at the leading edge sufficient to tack ths label to the container, ths 5 leading sdge bond becoming weaker and weaker as the solvent evaporates whilst the trailing edge strip bond becomes stronger and stronger.

2. Apparatus for continuously wrapping a polystyrene label around a container, the container 10 having a body and the label comprising a solid polystyrene top layer and a foam polystyrene bottom layer, the label being wrapped around the body with the foam layer next to the body in use, the apparatus conprising a label wrapping station including a rotating vacuum 15 drum, means for feeding the label in sheet form towards the wrapping station in a continuous flow, means for cutting a desired length of material from the sheet to provide the label, the cutting means being continuous to provide a plurality of the labels, means for feeding 20 a leading edge of the label to the periphery of the rotating drum, vacuum means for keeping the label on the drum periphery with the solid polystyrene layer next to the periphery, means for applying methylene chloride as solvent to the bottoia layer of the label 25 while moving towards the wrapping station and thereby forming finite areas adjacent the leading edge of the label and a finite area in the form of a strip adjacent the trailing edge of 2 0 the label, the finite areas being formed by the solvent which upon contact with the label material forms a viscous tacky solution of polystyrene, means for rolling the container over the label to wrap the label around ths container and tack the foam layer adjacent the leading edge of the label to the container body by rapidly applying solvent to the material which forms a tacky solution, the bond between the body and the label becoming weaker and weaker as the solvent evaporates whereby, after use, the label is easily and cleanly removable from the container so that the contadlner can be recycled, and bonding ths leading and trailing ends of the label together by overlapping the same and allowing the tacky solution adjacent the trailing edge of the label to form a solid cohesive bond between the overlapped ends of the label, which bond becomes stronger and stronger as the solvent evaporates.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which said means for applying solvent on finite areas of said layer is a gravure roll which has on its outer surface two areas of indentations vertically aligned and spaced apart to form two spaced finite areas on the leading edge of said layer, and a generally vertical strip indentation to form one finite area on the trailing edge of the layer.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, in which the gravure roll is rotatable about a vertical axis, and further comprising a vertical fountain engaging said gravure roll and Beans for supplying solvent to said fountain.

5. , Apparatus as claimed in claim i?, in which 5 said solvent supplying means comprises an elevated container for said solvent, means for cooling the solvent in said container, means for connecting the hottom of the solvent container to the bottom of the fountain, and means connected to the top of the 10 fountain for returning excess solvent from the fountain to the elevated container,

6. A method of providing a plastics label around a container having a body wherein the label is wrapped around the container and the plastics label comprises 15 a solid polymer outer layer and a foam polymer bottom layer, comprising the steps of transporting toward a wrapping station a sheet of the plastics label stock wherein the transporting is continuous and the length axis of the stock is parallel to the horizontal, 20 cutting the stock to form a plurality of labels of a desired length, feeding the leading edge of the label to a rotating vacuum drum, placing and guiding the label on the periphery of the drum with the outer layer of the label next to the peripheral dtum surface, 25 rolling the container over the label to wrap the label around the container so that its trailing end overlaps its leading end, and, just before wrapping the label 2 around the container, applying a low boiling, quick evaporating solvent for the polymer of the foam layer to the surface of that layer in finite areas adjacent the leading edge of the label to form a tacky bond that is a viscous tacky solution of the polymer in the solvent in said finite areas which forms between the leading edge of the label and the container a bond which becomes weaker and weaker after wrapping whereby the label can be easily and cleanly stripped from the container so that the container can be recycled, and, just before wrapping the label around the container, also applying the solvent to a finite strip area of the foam layer of the trailing edge of the label to form between the outer and bottom layers of the label at the overlapped ends a solid adhesive bond which becomes stronger and stronger.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, in which the step of applying solvent to the foam layer comprises providing a gravure roll with indented areas to correspond to the finite areas to be Bade in the foam layer, supplying solvent to the indented areas by a fountain, and lightly contacting the foam layer against the gravure roll to apply solvent to the foam layer to form in each finite area a tacky solution of the polymer of the foam layer in the solvent.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 or 7, in which the solvent when applied becomes a very tacky 1! 3 solution in leas than about 1/4 second.

9. A Method as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8, in which the foam layer is a foam polystyrene layer, 10* k method as claimed in claim 6, 7 or 8, in 5 which the label is a coextruded label having a solid polymer outer layer with printing indicia thereon and a foam polystyrene bottom layer that is next to the container when wrapped tharearound. 11. A method as claimed in claim 6, 79 8, 9 or 10 10, in which the container is a biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalat© carbonated beverage bottl®. 12. A method as claimed in any of claims 6 to 11, in which the solvent is methylene chloride, 1J. A method as claimed in claim 12, including 15 the step of controlling the temperature of the solvent to about 12„7fflC. 14. A method as claimed in claims 7 and 12, including the step of controlling the temperature of the methylene chloride within the fountain to 20 11° to 14.4°C. 15, A method of labelling a container comprising (a) providing a web comprising a solid polystyrene top layer and a foam polystyrene bottom layer, and having a width equal to the axial dimension 25 of a label when on the container, the front face of the top layer thereof having label indicia thereon, (b) feeding the leading edge of the web to a rotating drum, (c) cutting a length of material from the web to form a label, said length being equal to the periphera dimension of the label when on the container., (d) holding the label on the drum with the front face adjacent thereto, (e) applying methylene chloride solvent in a finite area pattern to the face of ths bottom foam layer of the moving label while on the drum, said pattern comprising finite areas adjacent the leading edge of the label and a finite area in the form of a strip adjacent the trailing edge of the label, and (f) rolling a container along said face of ths bottom layer of the label disposed exteriorly oa the drum and thereby transferring ths label to the container with the trailing end of the label overlapping the leading end of the label, whereby the pattern of the said solvent application causes the label to form adjacent the leading edge of the label a tacky bond to the surface of the container, which bond becomes weaker and weaker as the solvent evaporates, and causes the overlapped trailing end of the label to be bonded to the leading end of the label, the bond between the. overlapped ends of the label becoming stronger and stronger as the solvent evaporates, whereby the container has a label of the plastics material applied on its exterior surface. 16a A method of labelling a container comprising (a) providing a web of foamed polystyrene sheet material the width of which equals the axial dimension of & label when on the container, the front face 5 thereof having label indicia, (b) feeding the leading edge of the web to a rotatable drum, (c) cutting a length of material from the web to form a label, said length being equal to the peripheral 10 dimension of the label when on the container, (d) holding the label on the drum with the front face adjacent thereto, (e) applying a low boiling, quick evaporating solvent in a finite area pattern on the other face of 15 the moving label while on the drum, and (f) rolling a container along said other face of the label disposed exteriorly on the drum and thereby trnasferring the label to the container, whereby the finite area pattern of the said solvent application 20 causes the label to adhere to the surface of the container, whereby the container has a label of the foamed polystyrene material applied on its exterior surface. 17 . A method 33 claimed in claim 16, in which 25 the solvent is methylene chloride. 18 . A method as claimed in claim 16, in which the solvent when applied becomes a very tacky solution in less than 1/4 second, 19. A method as claimed in claim 16, 17 or 18, including the step of controlling the temperature of 5 the solvent to about 12.7°C. 20. A method as claimed in claim 16, 17, 18 or 19, in which the web of sheet material is a coextruded web having a solid polystyrene layer with printing indicia thereon and a foam polystyrene layer that is 10 next to the container when wrapped. 21. A method as claimed in claim 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20, in which the step of applying the solvent comprises providing a gravure roll with indented areas to correspond to the finite area pattern on the other 15 face of the moving label, supplying solvent to the indented areas by a fountain, and lightly contacting said other face against the gravure roll to apply solvent to said other face to form in each finite area a tacky solution of the polystyrene of the foam in the 20 solvent. 22. Apparatus for wrapping a plastics sheet label around a container, constructed and arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore particularly described with reference to and as 25 illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 23 . Methods of labelling a container with a plastics label, substantially as hereinbefore particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings. F. R. KELLY & CO., AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS.